Cairo University Blasts Kill Police Officer, Injure Five

Two blasts outside Egypt’s Cairo University killed a police officer and injured five others, according to state media.

A third explosion at the scene caused no casualties, Major General Abdel-Fattah Othman, an assistant to the interior minister, said by phone.

The blasts come as Egypt prepares for a presidential election next month, with former army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Seesi set to win. Violence has escalated since al-Seesi toppled elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi last year. Security forces have killed hundreds of Mursi’s supporters, and have themselves been targeted by a wave of militant attacks.

A group calling itself “Egypt’s Solders” claimed responsibility for today’s bombing, and said it was targeting security officials for their role in killing Mursi supporters last year, the official Middle East News Agency said, citing a statement posted on the group’s Facebook page.

Patrols by security forces will be increased after the incident, the cabinet said in a statement distributed to reporters following a meeting today.